


The Odyssey of Scylla

by EndZoner



Category: Parahumans Series - Wildbow, The Zombie Knight Saga - George M. Frost
Genre: Crossover, Gen, Original Character(s)
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-05-12
Updated: 2020-06-23
Packaged: 2021-03-02 21:39:38
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 5
Words: 17,935
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24153697
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/EndZoner/pseuds/EndZoner
Summary: After enduring the most terrifying moment of her life, Emma tries to move past that nightmare to honor the memories of the hero that saved her. Though what was she to do when the hero’s spirit asks her to become a hero to continue the fight? To be perfectly honest, she'll do it just to get back at the people that attacked her and her father. Will she succeed in making ripples to ensure the safety of the future for everyone, or will she sink into despair from the harsh reality of being a superhero? Follow Emma's journey into becoming a new hero in the Bay!
Comments: 3
Kudos: 9





	1. Borne from Strife

**Author's Note:**

> A quick heads up, reading the Zombie Knight Saga is not required. The power system that is being used in the Zombie Knight is the only reason for the crossover tag.

If Emma Barnes could describe Brockton Bay in one word then she would say that the town sucks in general. If pressed for a specification, she'll point out negative traits that she could see in a glance. The young redhead had just grown to hate her hometown.

To her, everything was falling apart in the city. Crime was rampant and the heroes had barely made any progress in reducing the rates. The homeless population just seem to grow exponentially with each day for her. What made her experience worse while living in this town is that her father seem steadfast in staying in the city for the rest of his life. The same father that is screaming for his daughter's safety in the hands of a gang member.

Emma was laying on her stomach after one of her assailants kicked her to comply while being encircled by them. Dragged out of her father's car through a smashed window. She didn't think of how lucky she was that none of the glass shards pierced her skin. She should thank the expensive jacket that her father had gotten her as a gift, but the outerwear was being worn by one of the girls of the group. Yan if she heard right was standing to the side.

The gang members appear to be a part of the Azn Bad Boys, or ABB for short. Emma assumed as such from the gang's characteristics. All of them were of asian descent judging from their eyes. They wore the ABB's traditional colors of red and green. They were very brash as they were doing this during broad daylight.

One of the men suggested sending her somewhere out of town to be auctioned off, but his idea was immediately shot down. Despite being reckless enough to commit a crime during the day, they were cautious enough to not draw too much trouble in the future. It's things like these that made it easier to believe that Brockton Bay was falling apart.

Emma could hear the car's doors being opened before the sound of people rummaging through the vehicle reached her ears. A small part of her hoped that none of them find the tub of ice cream that she and her father had picked out. If only to spite her aggressors.

A strong grip took hold of Emma's hair and she felt a tearing sensation before the tugging abruptly stopped which led to her head cracking against the pavement, causing one of her cheeks catching most of the impact. Fear course through her as the safety of her face became her priority, though she wondered why she wasn't as worried for her overall well being.

“Face,” she managed to mumble under her breath. Which may or may not have been a wise decision as it has caught the attention of one of the men. This one had covered one of his eyes with a bandana. Was he wearing it as a makeshift eyepatch? Or was he doing it to stand out from the other members? Either of the two could be possible with how insane gang culture can be.

“What’s that, ginger?” A feminine voice asked her. Emma forced her head around to look at the female gangster who was holding a locket of her hair. This was not Yan as the girl is a little to the side and around her age.

“Not- not the face, please. I’ll do anything you want, just… not the face,” she begged with all too easily. Of all the things she could beg for, it has to be that. Was she that vain? She must be losing her mind.

“You’ll do anything? Like what?” Asked a One-Eye.

It was obvious of what he was implying. If Emma had any self-respect she would’ve made a retort of some kind, but she didn’t. She wanted to verbally refute the man, but she didn’t in fear of being punished for her defiance.

As expected someone spoke up to continue this horrible scene, but it wasn’t any of her assailants.

“Like getting a baseball bat to the head!” A young man’s voice echoed through the alley as the gang member with one eye fell to the ground. The gangster was clutching the back of his skull in pain as he wailed in agony.

Standing above One-Eye was a man around Emma's height. Either he was young or rather short, she couldn’t help but feel joy in knowing that someone is stepping in to help her and her dad. He wore a dark blue hoodie despite the summer heat and a black pair of jeans. His face was covered by a scarf over his face and a pair of sunglasses. 

Was he trying to hide his identity? Was he cape? Hope began to swell within Emma's heart as the man ready his bat. She wonder what power he was going to demonstrate in front of her? However relief was short lived as one of the men took hold of her arms and dragged her to her feet with a knife to her throat. It was all too easy to reinstate the current status quo.

“Hey! You must have got some balls for doing that! It’s a goddamn shame that you’re gonna lose them!” The man holding her hostage yelled.

The hero stayed silent as the gang members quickly surrounded him and cut off his route of escape. His chest rose as if taking a deep breath before exhaling. Was he trying to calm himself? Was he a new cape? Quickly, her mind went to doubt as this may be her hero’s first and final debut in costume.

“I already called the cops. They’ll be here soon enough, and I told them the license plate of the van that’s blocking off the other entrance. So if you want a head start, I recommend letting them go.”

“Yeah, sure, after we make an example out of you! If you even take a step towards me I’ll slit this bitch’s throat!”

Everything exploded into chaos as Emma's captor finished that sentence. Her savior ran towards her as if what her captor has said meant nothing, but one of the gangsters tried to intercept him. The hero changed his course and ran toward to my dad’s car before jumping onto and off of the trunk to launch himself at the members behind him. He brought the bat onto one of the men, but it was mitigated when the gangster brought his arms up to shield himself. 

The man that tried to intercept him flanked the hero and rammed his fist into her savior’s ribs. She heard an audible grunt and an odd sound of broken glass before her hero spun and brought the bat to the side of the gangster’s head. Staggering, the hero takes a couple steps back to get some distance from the guy that managed to connect with his ribs. 

Her protector was cursing loudly as he clutched his sore ribs as blood stained his hoodie. Wait, blood? The gangster only punched him, was the sound of broken glass connected? If that’s the case, why did he carry glass with him?

The hero was distracted by the blood and one of the female members jumped him from behind and tried to drag him to the ground, but he quickly found footing to resist the attempt. The woman grab his mask and tore it off his face, in response the hero use one of his hands to pull on the woman’s hair further over his shoulder before leaning in to-

“AHHH! MOTHERFUCKER! HOLY-” The woman continued to scream as she fell to the ground while holding the side of her head. 

All the while her hero was spitting blood and a piece of ear out of his mouth. Her defender turned to the other gang members and gave them a bloody grin. It was obvious that he was trying to intimidate them, and it was working fantastically. Although the tightening grip of her captor is worrying. Maybe they’ll realize that this is too much trouble and make a run for it?

None of them seem to want to approach the wannabe hero as the man has demonstrated his willingness to make drastic actions. Wearing clothes with bloodstains that grow larger by the second while donning a bloody smile with pieces of human ear to the side would be enough to get people to rethink their current situation. He started walking to Emma and her handler.

“Okay, I think I’ve demonstrated-”

“You fucking deaf, you shit eating-”

Emma didn’t get to hear the rest of that line before her captor plunged the knife into her neck. Just as it sever her major artery, it was just as quickly removed to let a cascade of blood flow down her chest and shoulder. The world grew distantly quiet as Emma brought her hand to the wound to stem the blood loss, but the crimson fluid easily found gaps between her fingers to escape through. 

She could barely make out the distorted shouts of her dad and the would-be hero. The failure of a hero ran towards her as the man that was holding me tossed me to the side so that he could intercept the hero. There's a good chance that the hero will be overwhelmed by the ABB before being inevitably killed. Emma couldn’t pay much attention to the battle as she was too busy trying to prolong the bloodloss. How much does a human need to bleed out before dying? Was it fifty percent? That seems a bit high. Twenty-five would’ve been her next guess, but she also felt it’s a little low.

Despite the fact that she was bleeding out, Emma has a certain clarity for her to think. Perhaps her brain was trying to find a solution to prolong her life? Emma knew that she should be more worried about dying, but she was in a sense happy as the worst alternative would her hero dying and those monsters have fun with her.

Emma looked to her side to find her father kneeling down beside her. He seemed to be saying something to her, but she couldn't make out what he's saying. It was most likely that her brain was starting to suffer from oxygen deprivation caused by the blood loss. Knowing that she may die, she began thinking about her final words.

“H-hey, dad…” she croaked “S-sorry about giving you a h-hard time about moving…” It was getting harder to move her lips as her muscles were growing weaker with the drop in blood flow. “I g-guess I understand why you w-wanted to live in a house you would rather d-die in…”

She could see her dad tearing up, and she noticed him glancing off to the side though it was brief as he focused back on her. Did something happen to the hero? Well I guess it doesn’t matter anymore.

“C-could you tell mom and Anne that I’m grateful to have them? I-I want them to know that I-love them… A-and Taylor! T-tell her that she’s my b-best friend till the end!” she wanted to see Taylor so much now. Not because she wanted someone else to be by her sid, but to see her smile one last time. Ever since her mom died she hadn’t been the same since. If there's one thing Emma was going to regret, it was undoing the recovery that was done while Taylor left for summer camp.

Something landed on the roof of the car, it looked like a person in a black cloak. The cloaked figure jumped out of her vision, perhaps it's another cape that found them? If only they had shown up sooner... Well it doesn't matter now. Emma drew in her last breath before saying her last piece before darkness overtook her vision, "I love you, dad..."

\------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Emma felt nothing. Like her body was drifting through space. No sense of direction. No light to illuminate the black void that she's in. She doesn’t even feel cold either. Is this death? Or is this Hell? She didn't think she did anything bad to warrant a trip to Hell. Though she doesn't recall doing anything astoundingly good either to earn a place in Heaven. Maybe this is like- what do you call it- Purgatory? Yeah, Purgatory! Maybe an unfulfilling life deserved an unfulfilling afterlife?

The more she thought about it, the more stupid it became apparent. So what if she lived an unfulfilling life? She tried to be a good person and that’s good enough for her! Having been blessed by a great mother, an awesome father, a cool sister, and the greatest friend one could have was satisfying enough for her. Sure she had died, but she’ll be happy knowing that the memories she had made with her loved ones would live on.

With that she resigns to my fate. It’s going to be boring as hell here, maybe she’ll get to the point where she no longer think and that’s what happens to all souls in Purgatory. Doesn’t seem too bad of a fate. She might go crazy for a bit, but she’ll stop thinking and it’ll no longer be a problem. Yeah, this isn’t too bad.

“Hey, are you with me?”

“The hell?”

“Yes! You’re still viable!”

“What?”

“Okay, I know this probably means nothing to you, but I’m the guy that tried to save you and your dad.”

“...You’re right, it doesn’t mean much.”

“Damn, I know I fucked up, but I want to make it up to you.”

“I’m dead. A little late don’t you think?”

“Well… Yeah, but it’s not permanent. So I got a power that can help you out.”

“Really? Is it like resurrection?”

“Uh, not quite. My blood has unique properties. I know it’s gross, but if someone inject or ingest my blood in themselves they;ll gain enhanced strength, high pain tolerance, and more importantly super regeneration.”

“Oh, shit, so you can heal my wounds?”

“Yes!”

“Great! So what’s the holdup?”

“Oh, well, usually it’s automatic. I just started feeding you my blood, you know. It wasn't easy convincing your dad to let me do it, but he changed his mind if it could bring you back. Your dad told me that you passed away for about 2 minutes while I was dealing with the other guys. I owe Shadow Stalker big time.”

"Shadow Stalker?"

"She's a solo hero, I think. Might give her some of my blood as a present for the major help."

“Wait, if your blood gives you super strength and regeneration then why were you having a hard time with a bunch of gangsters?”

“That’s… because my powers don't work on me. I can’t drink or inject my own blood to gain powers. I have to grant them to others instead. See, my entire plan was to get my blood injected into you and/or your dad so that the two of you could give those assholes a beatdown.”

“But your plan didn’t pan out.”

“Yeah… It didn’t.”

“So when will the regeneration kick in?”

“Oh, that, I don’t know. My powers are like a drug. The effects occur when my blood enters your body, but for some reason it’s not working. Then again, I never tried giving my blood to a dead person before so maybe there’s another requirement?”

“Like what? Consent? Alright, I give you my consent to bind my soul to you, my master.”

“Haha, very funny, but seriously we need to think- uh...”

“What?”

“I don’t know how to describe this, but I think there’s a connection between us.”

“Whoa, hold on, this isn’t like the movies where I fall in love for my inept hero.”

“Haha, fuck you! Seriously though, there’s a legit connection now. Let me see if I can get the regeneration going now. Oh shit!”

“What’s going on? Is there- whoa!”

\------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Emma opened her eyes easily enough and found herself strapped to a gurney. The paramedics that was setting her down were both adorning very surprised expressions. One of them was about to say something, but her dad appeared at her side with his arms wrapped around her.

“I’m so glad you’re back, Emma,” Alan Barnes sobbed with relief, “For a moment I thought he was lying!”

It took her a moment to understand who he was talking about and ask an important question.

“Where is he? Is he in a different ambulance?”

Her dad made a surprised face as if the question was absurd, but that look quickly turned solemn. “He’s still in the alley. You need to rest. We need to have you checked up at the hospital.”

“I need to thank him. I know he put me in danger, but he tried and actually saved me. I should at least know his name.” she reasoned as she struggled to get off of the stretcher, but her father's hands held firm on her shoulders.

“No, Emma, we need to make sure you’re healthy! We don’t know if his blood healed you completely. His struggle would’ve been wasted if your wounds were to open!”

At the thought, Emma hesitantly touched the area of where the knife had pierced her neck. The skin felt smooth as if the knife had never touched her in the first place. She still wanted to go see the person that stepped in for her and her dad’s sake, but he made a good point. Besides, with that guy’s powers the Protectorate may be willing to foot his medical bill if he works for them. Perhaps even calling Panacea to patch him up.

“Can I at least sit next to you?” Emma asked pleadingly.

“I- yes, sure thing, Emma.” He said as the paramedics assisted her off of the stretcher. She sat between her father and the back window.

As the ambulance began to pull out, Emma curiously looked out of the back window to see if she could catch a glance of the hero that saved her. Sure enough there was another ambulance and a pair of paramedics were walking out of the alley with a gurney. However, the body was wrapped up but was poorly sealed as a sudden jolt from one side of the stretcher caused the wrapping to come loose and a hand stuck out. She could see a familiar bloodstained sleeve of a hoodie. Emma's heart sank as the hero that saved her had died in the process.

Tears began to well up which blurred her vision. Despite the tears, she caught sight of a large dog among the police officers on the scene. She quickly assumed that it was a police dog, but it wasn’t wearing a harness nor a leash. It looked around its surrounding area curiously before it looked in her direction and they locked eyes with each other. She soon lost sight of the dog in the crowd of officers and as the distance grew between us.

The silence along the way to the hospital was unbearable so she leaned onto her dad and let her tired mind go to sleep. While she was sad that someone had died for her, she was more concerned that it could’ve been her in that bodybag. Her sleep was not restful due to the shame of that thought.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is my first uploaded fanfiction that I have ever made so I would really appreciate any feedback on this. I understand that this story is far from perfect, so if you find any mistakes or want to share your thoughts on the story then I'm all ears in the comment section. I look forward into continuing this story. I had hoped in the past that someone could have done a crossover with these particular series before me, but unfortunately I found none. I'll have to do it myself, so I hope I'll do a good enough job to entertain my audience.
> 
> For those that are curious, this story will takes place about roughly around 2 years before the start of Worm so there's going to be a lot of deviation from the source material as characters make different decisions. I hope this won't bother anyone too much, but I don't really like stories where new characters are introduced but nothing change in terms of story or plot. So again, feedback is always appreciative.


	2. A Bond of Blood

“-overall she’s in perfect condition.”

The look of relief that appeared on Alan's face was so great that Emma thought that he might faint from the sheer suspense of the physical examination. It has been about a few hours since they arrived at the hospital and her dad was so nervewreck that he wouldn’t stop asking her to give him a response once every few seconds. Emma appreciates his concern for her, but she really just want to get the physical over with so that they can go rest in the comfort of home.

“The only thing that I recommend is that she should talk to a therapist. Your traumatic encounter with the ABB may have left a lasting scar on her mental state so she should seek counseling. Other than that, I can just go ahead and discharge your daughter so that the two of you can be on your way home.”

The doctor wrote something on a piece of document before handing it to the nurse who also guided her and her dad out of the office and into the pair of police officers waiting outside. The large dog, which might as well be a wolf, that Emma saw before was sitting between them and a potted plant. She was proven right that the dog was neither wearing a collar or harness. Were the officers confident that it would behave without restraints? That doesn’t seem right.

She tuned out the series of questions and answers that were happening between her dad and the officers as Emma looked at the dog. It gave her a curious look as if it was not accustomed to getting attention. Feeling emotionally drained after the incident and petting a dog can do wonders to a person so she asked the officers a simple question.

“Can I pet your dog?”

The officers and dad stopped their important conversation before giving Emma a strange look as if the question was nonsensical.

“What dog?” Dad asked with a worrying tone.

“The dog by the plant,” she pointed to the dog who by now perked up its ears at attention as it looked her in the eye. 

“Emma, there’s no dog. Are you well? Do you need to rest?” He came over to her and brought a reassuring hand on her shoulder. Was she hallucinating? There’s no way, the dog looks way too real! She could see the details of its fur, the shine in its eyes, and how it is trying to avoid coming into contact with other people. A hallucination wouldn’t be that detailed, right?

 _“You can see me?”_ The dog asked as it stood on its four legs and moved towards her.

Instinctively, Emma broke away from her father’s touch as she took a step back from it while processing what’s going on. Her dad and the officers were displaying worried expressions as if she was losing her mind. Though the idea grew more and more possible as the dog slowly backed her into a corner.

“Don’t- don’t come any closer!” Emma commanded and the officers and her father stopped as they thought she was referring to them. There was a table with magazines, cups, and other mundane items. Running to them, Emma started throwing them at the dog in the hope it’ll get scared off.

The beast flinched when a flying cup was nearing its face, but the item simply went straight through the creature as if it wasn’t there to begin with. Once the mutt recovered it continued to advance forward. Emma was growing desperate as she continued to throw more items at the damn thing hoping one of them struck true, but it yielded the same results. At that point, the officers ran past the wolf and pinned her to the wall. Memories of the incident flooded back to her and she began thrashing about to break free, but she couldn’t possibly do anything against the strength of two full grown men.

The officers were saying something to her dad, but she couldn’t make out what was being said. The beast stopped in its tracks as it watched her struggle in the arms of the policemen. It gave her a look before turning away as if it didn’t want to look at her. Was it pitying her? Was it taunting me with that action? Does it think she was weak? It made her blood boil thinking it could get away by making a fool out of her while everyone else assumed she losing it.

“Fuck you! I don’t know what you are, but fuck you!” she cursed at the mutt. “I’m not afraid of you! You think I’m weak?! I’ll make you regret messing with me!”

The damn thing didn’t say anything as it walked away and exited through the hospital’s front entrance. Emma smiled thinking she had scared it off, but the tight grip of the police officer reminded her of the trouble she was in.

\------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

“So the officers escorted me and dad home after that, and they suggested that I should see a therapist. At first I was mad, but after I thought about it I considered myself lucky,” Emma said into her phone while laying on the couch. 

A week has passed since the incident at the hospital and she have been adjusting back to normalcy. Emma should've been traumatized by the ABB, but it was overshadowed by her spite toward the hallucination of that wolf. She figured that if she let any of those things affect her life, then it would’ve been the same as acknowledging them winning against her.

As of now, Emma has been talking to Taylor while watching the news in the living room. The news reporter was highlighting the rise of the two new heroes in Brockton Bay. It bewilders her on how coincidental the world can be as Glory Girl and Panacea were sisters who triggered in a small time frame. And that isn’t including the fact that they were willing to expose their identity to the public. If she was them, Emma would never do such a thing. She'’ll be looking over her shoulder for the rest of her life.

With those kinds of worries, it makes her happy that Taylor was available to talk to. Emma told her everything that had happened on that fateful day. Just talking about it has lifted a burden off of her chest.

<”So what have you been doing to take your minds off of things?”> Taylor asked.

“Well right now I’m watching the news about those sister capes.”

<”Glory Girl and Panacea?”>

“Yeah, them.”

<”I would think it’s cool to be a part of a sister cape duo. I know Glory Girl and Panacea do their own thing, but I still think it’s neat. What do you think? Us somehow being a couple of capes that is?”>

“Honestly, I would ask if you’re willing to join me making those ABB regret ever messing with me and my dad.”

<”Of course! I would never forgive anyone that mess with my best friend!”>

That brought a smile on my face. It’s things like this that I appreciate being Taylor’s best friend.

<”Oh! I’m out of time! Sorry Emma, I gotta talk to dad! I’ll call you again later!”>

“Bye, Taylor! Call back soon!”

Putting her phone away, Emma resumed to watching TV. Her mother and father had already left for work. Her sister, Anne, was away for a college dormitory orientation. Effectively Emma had the house all to herself. She never thought much about spending time by herself. She usually thought it would be depressing, but now it’s just relaxing as it helps clear her thoughts of worry. It’s this kind of peace that is best spent uninterrupted.

_“Excuse me? Can we talk a bit?”_

Jolting from her couch, Emma stared at the front door. Standing on the doormat was the same black wolf that was at the hospital. Her breaths were becoming rapid, would it attack her? It seems to be immune to physical attack so maybe it can’t hurt her? Though I’ve heard of capes that can be intangible while still being able to attack others.

_“If you don’t want to talk, I can just come back tomorrow,” it said as it turned to leave._

“Wait!” Emma called out quickly out of reflex. Why would she do that? She doesn't know the answer to that question. “What are you?”

_“Oh, uh, I was the guy that tried to save you and your dad.”_

What?

“Wait, you’re that guy? I thought you were dead!”

_“Well I thought so too until you saw me at the hospital. I thought I was a ghost so I figured I should check on you at the hospital. Maybe I was supposed to be your guardian angel? I don’t know, I was still trying to process what’s going on.”_

This is getting a little insane. Maybe asking some basic questions would lead her to better answers.

“Why are you a wolf?”

_“I honestly don’t know.”_

A disappointing answer right off the bat.

“Uh, so what’s your name?”

_“It’s Zain.”_

“No, I meant your cape name,” Emma clarified. “Sorry.”

_“Oh. Well damn, I really do suck as a hero. No wonder I got you killed.”_

“Don’t you think it’s a little inappropriate to say that?”

_“Why? You’re breathing.”_

“Yeah, but you’re not!”

_“Oof, well, I guess it doesn’t matter now.”_

“My name is Emma if that makes you feel better?”

_“A little…”_

There was an awkward silence between us while the TV drone on in the background. Zain decided to push the conversation forward.

_“Hey, I know this is a weird thing to ask, but can I ask you a favor?”_

“I don’t know…”

_“Please! I’m desperate! You’re the only one I can ask! Everyone else can’t see me so I was hoping you would!”_

Emma really doesn't want to do anything for someone she barely even knew, but she did felt a sense of obligation on the fact that he did die so that she can live. She might as well hear him out on the details of his last wish.

“Not saying that I’ll do it, but what’s the favor exactly?” She could see his tail wagging with excitement.

_“Okay, so remember when I told you that my blood has special properties?”_

“Yeah, you fed me some. Gross by the way.”

_“I know, but it’s worth it! So about a month ago I started storing blood in a mini freezer that I keep at my place. I’m thinking that they still have their special properties even if I’m dead.”_

I think where this is going.

“So you want me to go to your place and take the fridge with me? And what? Give it to the Protectorate?”

_“Ideally, yes.”_

“Alright, so where do you keep it?”

_“The freezer is in my room. My parents thinks it’s a mini fridge, but they don’t know the contents. I put a lock on it since I don’t want word to get out that I can basically dope up normal with powers.”_

“Your parents don’t know about your powers? Wouldn’t it be best if you tell them?”

_“Er… Well, yeah, but it’s complicated. My parents had some financial troubles. I wanted to sell my blood to the Protectorate, but my parents may not think it’s worth it.”_

“What do you mean?”

_“Well, government funds are given based on necessity. If they Protectorate can’t pay the appropriate amount, how can they stop my parents from selling them to other buyers?”_

Ah, so that’s the issue.

“That makes sense… I think… But how am I going to explain your parents into giving me the freezer? I’m a stranger to them and if I ask for a fridge or whatever, I would look very suspicious.”

 _“Oh, you’re right.”_ His tail stopped wagging when the realization hit him. _“Maybe you can talk to my dad?”_

I raised an eyebrow at that suggestion.

“How exactly am I suppose to persuade him?”

_"Uh… He might do it just to avoid the lawsuit.”_

“What?”

_“My dad and I… Don’t have the best relationship. He’ll probably help you with the mini freezer if he thinks it’s a good way to solve the case out of court.”_

“What case?”

 _“Er, well,”_ Zain was getting nervous as he thought about his words. _“I visited my parents when I died and I was hoping they would be sad. I know it’s selfish, but I didn’t get what I wanted. The police officer that gave them the news also told them about you getting hurt and mentioning your dad being a lawyer. They were more concerned about getting a lawsuit from your dad then they were sad about me dying.”_

Emma didn’t know what to say to that. His parents didn’t care about him and were more concerned about money? It's something that's hard to believe, but then again everything is falling apart in Brockton Bay. She felt pity for him, but he probably doesn’t want to hear that.

“Alright, I’ll try and get your blood to the Protectorate.”

 _“Awesome! You have no idea how much this means to me!”_ He was jumping in place as he was containing his excitement poorly.

Emma stood up from the couch and walked over to him by the door. Opening the door she stopped herself from leaving just yet.

“Hey, can I make a weird request?”

_“I made mine, so it’s only fair if you make one.”_

“Can I pet you?”

 _“First physical contact that I will have in the past week? Yes, please!”_ He allowed it with a tailwag.

She hesitantly lowered her hand down onto his head. Some part of her screamed to not do it. Maybe touching him could kill her? Maybe he might be tempted to bite her arm off? Imagine both disappointment when Emma's hand simply phased through him.

 _“Well that sucks,”_ He stated with a disheartened tone.

\------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

_“-and that’s how I learned to fly.”_

“That is probably the saddest thing that I ever heard.” Emma said while holding her phone to her ear to feign using it.

Zain and Emma have been walking for the past hour to get to the ghost’s home. The wolf figured it was a good way to demonstrate his ability to fly, which cemented further that he is a spirit or something similar. Zain explained that he felt depressed after his parents didn’t mourn for him so he figured to test if it’s possible for ghosts to die. He told me that he jumped off from the roof of a ten story building and he learned that gravity wasn't pulling him down to the ground. He also learned that he could phase through the ground and could descend into the earth as far as he wanted.

_“I know, but I like to think that it’s a conversation piece. I’m dead, no one can see me but you, I figured I won’t let anything get me down so I’ll talk about anything. Nothing’s off the table, but I would like to ask weird questions here and there in return.”_

Emma rolled her eyes as she walked with him. The fact that Zain had accepted his death so easily concerned her. She wondered if Zain made plans to commit suicide before he had intervened on her behalf against those ABB members. Was he fully prepared to be killed simply to demonstrate his power? She doesn't know what kind of life he had lived, but it must have been enough for him to face death without too much of a concern.

“So how close are we to your house?”

_“It’s up ahead actually.”_

Looking ahead, the duo were nearing a run down house. If anything, it would’ve been a place for the homeless to squat in. Emma of course didn’t say that to him, but he could probably see her face to gauge her first reaction.

She went up the cracked stone steps and knocked on the decaying wooden door. It didn’t take long for a large bearded man to reveal himself and she could smell the stench of booze on his breath. His size was a combination of fat and muscles as he seem to be very fit.

“Who are you?” He asked with an annoyed tone.

“I’m Emma, I was-” She didn’t even finish her introduction before the man’s eyes widened in realization and he quickly tried to clean himself up. Emphasis on trying as all he did was clean his beard of the crumbs from a sandwich he must have eaten recently before wiping his nose to clear off anything visually offensive from my presence.

“You’re the girl that got attacked! Are you alright? Did my son hurt you in any way?”

At the last part, Emma glanced towards Zain who was floating by her side and she could clearly see that he was trying to ignore the conversation that’s taking place. He seems to be focusing on a couple of birds perched on a streetlamp. She soon regretted her action as the man before her took the silence as a yes.

“I’m so sorry for any trouble he had caused you. If you’re here on your father’s behalf, I’m sure he’s busy so he sent you to talk, but could we resolve the case outside of court?”

“I-er, yes, of course,” She lied. Emma wanted to get this over with, because if she keeps talking to him for too long, she might just punch him for how he’s talking about his recently deceased son.

“As much as I want to talk inside, I can’t let a young girl like you enter without your parent or guardian,” the man explained.

Do you often have that concern for Zain?

“You’re right, it would be inappropriate,” she replied, “My dad had wanted compensation for the escalation your son had caused during the incident. I talked him down because I was still grateful enough that he even bothered to come to my rescue, but not enough to forgive.”

IEmma could see the sweat rolling down his forward, but they were in the shade and away from the sun’s wrath.

“My dad wanted some form of compensation and I managed to persuade him that we could obtain assets that belonged to your son. Like something that he had owned in the past. It could be anything from-”

“Ah, I understand! This is very much ideal for my family,” the man interrupted her. “My son bought some stuff in the past with money from his part time job,” he said with a noticeable amount of venom. 

“Like what?” Emma pushed the conversation despite her desire to end it.

“I-er, I remember him buying a mini fridge!”

Freezer, but it doesn’t matter much.

“A mini fridge? That would be wonderful in fact! I guess it’ll cover the compensation since I can only carry so much,” she said with a clap in false excitement.

“Right? If you wait here, I’ll bring it to you. I’ll even set down at the base of the steps!” He said before disappearing into his home.

She turned to Zain and found him laying down on the pavement rolling on his back as a dog would roll in mud. Zain must have really gotten into ignoring the conversation that he’s entertaining himself.

“You shouldn’t have been talked about like that,” she stated bluntly to make sure he heard her.

_“It’s fine.”_

No. It’s not.

_“Like I said, my dad and I don’t have the best relationship. I just never gave up trying to get his approval.”_

“It’s just hard to believe that you came from him.”

_“He’s not all bad. He could’ve disciplined me, but he didn’t. He never hurt me or abused me. He tried to get me to help with our financial troubles and I honestly tried. It’s just that making money isn’t easy.”_

“And selling your blood to the Protectorate is?”

_“I can always make more.”_

She sniffed at that, “You’re too good for them.”

_“Maybe I wasn’t good enough.”_

“Don’t say that!”

_“I bought a damn mini freezer when I could’ve given the money to my parents.”_

“It- it’s an investment! You need to stock up so that you have plenty to sell!”

_“Hmph, maybe, but now it’s just wasting electricity and my parents are paying for it.”_

Before IEmma could retort, Zain’s father came back and he was carrying a mini freezer in his arms. She can tell that the man lifts often as he wasn’t straining. Though I wonder why it took him this long to bring it outside. It was then I noticed the lock on the fridge. No doubt to prevent people from finding his supply and ask unnecessary questions.

“Here it is! Let me move on by and set it down,” he said as he walked down the steps and set the freezer down beside her. After closer inspection, it has trolley wheels and an extendable handle to allow easy mobility. He offered a small key to me. He must have had trouble finding the key for the lock.

“Great! Thank you! I’ll let my father know about this arrangement. If he feels it’s inadequate then I’ll come by tomorrow around the same time. If he thinks it’s good enough then I won’t bother showing up again.”

“Ah, okay, thank you!” He said as he gave a small wave as I walked away with the mini freezer rolling behind me.

\------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

“Okay, done,” Emma declared as both her and Zain gaze upon the mini freezer that fit snugly under her nightdesk. 

_“Great, we just need to give them to the Protectorate and show them the properties of my blood. If they like it, they might pay a good amount for it! I know I can’t force you to, but could you give some to my parents? It’ll help out their situation.”_

She frowned at that, not because she would have less money, but that Zain is still caring for people that won’t think much about him.

“Yeah, fine, sure.”

_“Thank you so much!”_

She waved him off before collapsing onto her bed.She closed her eyes to fall asleep, but didn’t. She looked up and saw that Zain was sitting awkwardly while giving her a sheepish smile.

“Is there something you need to ask?”

_“I- uh, I wanted to ask if it’s all right if I visit sometime. I mean you’re the only person that I met that can see and talk to me.”_

“Hm, alright,” she said, “Do you plan on sleeping in your old home?”

_“Nah, I tried that and I learned that I don’t need to. Makes sense that I don’t really have a body. So I don’t need to eat, sleep, or breathe.”_

“Neat, I guess I’ll let you do whatever.”

 _“Alright,”_ she heard him say as she closed her eyes.

As much as Emma wanted to sleep the day away, her mind falls back to Zain and his father. She wondered how someone who was willing to risk his life came from a man who was more concerned about money than his own son. The more she thought about it, the more she got angry, and the less likely she could sleep. IEmma opted to stare at her ceiling and hoped that her mind gets tired to fall asleep.

An hour had passed and still nothing. She could try taking some of the sleeping pills her dad has in his bathroom, but the idea just doesn’t sit well with her. Relying on drugs for something so mundane. Movement in the corner of her eye diverted her concentration of the ceiling to the form of Zain.

“You came back?”

_“Oh! Uh, yeah, sorry. I kept worrying about the blood. I‘m just worried that some mind reader learned about them or something.”_

“And you think I can fend them off?” she jokingly asked.

 _“You kidding? You died and came back. A badass like you can easily deal with them,”_ he chortled.

“Well this badass is having trouble sleeping. Got any ghost powers to solve that?”

 _“Hold on, let’s see,”_ he pawed over to her bed. Despite standing on his legs, he’s still able to look at her at eye level. _“I see, it seems that you’re afflicted by Worry Warts. A fatal ailment, I’m afraid. Luckily, I have a solution,”_ he said as he placed a paw on her forehead, _“I channel my ghost powers and cast the almighty spell, Sleep!”_

And she did.


	3. Thy Might, Thy Wisdom

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Should've said this sooner, but anyone that's willing to read this fic should check out the Zombie Knight Saga. Great story, interesting characters, and unique concepts. Really worth the read!

Waking up has always been a chore, your body is effectively turned off during the night and it has to start back up again when you wake up. However, this may be the first time where Emma woke up refreshed for the entire month. Ever since the whole encounter a few weeks back, she had trouble sleeping and would often sleep through a good portion of the day. Looking at her clock, she had woken up relatively early at a modest 8:30 AM. She sat herself up before throwing her legs off of the bed. She did some basic stretches to get the blood flowing.

_“Oh hey, you’re awake.”_

Emma jumped a little in her bed as she turned to the foot of the bed to see Zain’s wolf head peeking over the sheets.

“Jesus Christ, Zain, you gotta announce yourself before entering someone’s room,” she said flustered.

 _“Like knocking?”_ He suggested jokingly.

That’s right, he’s intangible.

“Well, you should at least call out to me or something.”

_“Well I tried, but you were out like a light after my little joke. I thought you were humoring me by pretending, but when you started snoring I realized it wasn’t a joke so I just left you alone.”_

What? Did Zain do something to her that made her sleep? If that’s the case then it’s a neat trick though if he starts knocking her out as a prank it might become tiresome.

“So wait, did you really cast a spell on me?”

_“Well for one, aren’t you a little old to believe in magic? I might be a ghost, but I’m pretty sure there's a Tinker or Thinker out there that can explain what the Hell is going on with me.”_

At that Emma pouted, “Alright, then what did you do?”

_“I don’t know. All I did was touch you and thought about you going to sleep. It was obviously a joke, but the universe didn’t get the hint.”_

“So you can put people to sleep? That’s a lame power.”

_“Well, it’s even more lame that it only works on you. I tried knocking out your parents when they got home from work, but they just spent the night doing paperwork.”_

“Could you please not use my parents as guinea pigs?”

_“Sure thing. I’ll test out any new powers on you only, my favorite test subject.”_

Emma laughed at that, “You’re such a dork!”

 _“And you’re being haunted by this dork, so get used to being the most annoyed teenager in the Bay!”_ He chortled as he joined her in this mirth.

After settling herself down, she went back to where they left off.

“So you can do things that only affect me?”

_“I think so. Hey, wanna spend the day experimenting?”_

“First of all, never say it like that. Second, yes I would like to. Just let me take a shower.”

Getting out of bed, Emma picked out the clothes she would like to wear for the day and walked to the hallway bathroom. Anne usually wakes up around 10:00 due to her setting up her own college schedule. Which is convenient as I got the bathroom for myself.

Locking the door, Emma walked over to the mirror to inspect herself like usual. Despite being only 14, it was obvious that she was going to grow up into someone beautiful. When summer ends and school starts again, it’s going to be obvious that she was going to be one of the popular kids. And by proxy, so will Taylor as the two of them are inseparable. Taylor might not become a bombshell, but she can totally rock that cute nerdy look. If Emma's body continues to develop as it is now, then she might consider going into the modeling business somewhere in the future, she was confident that she was going to go far. Not to mention that if Zain is going to stick with her then she's going to get a lot of beauty sleep to maintain her looks.

After taking a shower and drying off, Emma began applying her makeup which would require focus and precision to ensure that her beauty shines for today. She wasn’t seeing anyone, nor was she going to see someone, she merely want to look best. 

_“Emma, this is God speaking and I humbly request that you please hurry the fuck up.”_

She let out a scream as the hand that was holding her eyeliner veered of its course and creating an eyesore upon her face. Emma haven’t forgotten about Zain, she didn’t expect him to complain as he was a ghost and is essentially immortal and has all the time in the world, and she certainly did not expect his voice to reverberate within her mind.

Loud footsteps were heard just outside the door and Emma knew who it was going to be.

“Emma? Sweetie? Is everything alright in there?”

It was her dad, Alan, expressing his worries for his daughter. While the sound of laughter accompanied him in the background.

Emma settled her breathing before responding, “Yeah, dad, I just got scared by a spider. Sorry about that.”

“Well as long as you’re safe. I'll go buy some pest repellants before I come home later tonight. I don’t want a heart attack at my age!” He laughed at the last part.

She let out a giggle before resuming to the important task at hand. Fixing her makeup.

\------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Walking out of the bathroom, Emma stared daggers at the ethereal mutt that was laying down outside of the door. Said mutt turned to her before letting out a snicker. She looked at both ends of the hallway to make sure no one would see her talking to Zain. Seeing no other occupants, she proceed to speak her mind.

“How the Hell did you do that?”

Zain stood up on his four legs, _“I didn’t think it would work, but I just wanted to test it. Either nothing will happen and I will be mildly disappointed, or something happens and I will be pleasantly surprised.”_

“That doesn’t answer the question.”

 _“At first I thought about saying something to you. Nothing happened so I concentrated and it got through! I wonder if it works both ways… Hey, you try!”_ He said eagerly.

 _“... So something like this?”_ she said silently to Zain.

_“Yeah!”_

Holy shit, she and Zain have telepathy. Sure it’s only limited to the two of them, but it’s still a big deal. Telepathy has been established as a power that’s impossible as the size of the human brain to even comprehend the thoughts of others would be several times larger. The only one that has something even close is the Simurgh, but the Endbringer can hardly be considered human due to its monstrous acts in the past.

 _“Fucking telepathy…”_ This is something that Emma need to get used to.

_“I know! This is so cool. Come on let’s see what else we can do! I know a place we can use as a testing ground!”_

\------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

“So this is it?”

_“What? Were you expecting something fancy?”_

“Well I certainly wasn’t expecting a oversized, rotting and decaying shack.”

Zain had led Emma somewhere in the Docks after they left the house. She was worried that they might into some ABB members, but Zain told her that they were mostly heading more to where the dockworkers were at. Their travel ended when they arrived at a warehouse that was marked for demolition. Zain found the place while he was exploring the Docks and figured it’s good as any to serve as a temporary training ground for the two of them.

“Don’t you think it’s a bit daring to do this in broad daylight?” I asked after entering through the rusted door.

_“It is, but don’t worry, I can keep an eye out if someone’s getting close. I’ve been meaning to tell you about this actually.”_

She raised an eyebrow, “Tell me what?”

_“I can sense the presence of other people. Well living things technically. I passed by some roadkill a few days back, but I didn’t sense anything from them. In ghost powers term, I can sense the souls of the living. Or something similar. I’m not much of a believer of this myself.”_

He says that, but that only affirms Emma's belief that he’s a ghost myself. She wonder what else he hasn’t told her yet. She'll ask him later after they're done training.

“Well what should we do first?”

_“Hmm, we learned that I can put you to sleep and we have telepathy between us. So far those look like brain powers.”_

"Maybe when you gave me your blood while I was dead did something to the both of us. Like it made some kind of bond that let you affect my body when you lost yours?” Emma suggested.

 _“It's a possibility,”_ Zain responded, _“How did you feel when you woke up today?”_

“Honestly, I felt well rested. Usually I had trouble sleeping ever since the whole incident, but you helped me out big on that.”

_“Alright, let’s see if I can’t give you more energy. If I can control your brain a little bit, then maybe I can have it start pumping adrenaline into your system.”_

“Oh, good idea! Give it a try!” she said while standing next to an empty crate in the middle of the building.

Emma watched as Zain stared at her from across the warehouse. She waited for the adrenaline to kick in, but felt nothing different.

 _“Anything?”_ He asked telepathically.

 _“No, nothing, maybe you need to touch me? When you put me to sleep, you touched my head,”_ she answered back mentally.

Zain flew over to her, apparently his max flying speed is the same as a normal person running. He hovered a bit over the ground as he placed a paw onto Emma's shoulder. Maybe he was testing if it had to be her head he needed to touch.

Immediately a wave of agonizing pain spread throughout her body, but soon it disappeared while leaving Emma filled with energy and vigor. She was about to tell him that it was working, but Zain flew back with a shocked look on his face.

_“Holy shit!”_

“What? Did something happen?” 

She didn’t wait for a reply as she fished out her phone. Turning on the camera to look at herself, Emma was horrified by what she saw. The first thing she noticed was her face; Emma's beautiful red hair had turned into a ghostly white, her bright eyes had become bloodshot, and her unblemished skin was being consumed by exposed muscles which mercifully was not bleeding. Aiming the camera down, she saw her arms and neck were rippling with muscles which were all visible and like her face was not bleeding.

“No! No, this can’t be happening! Stop it!” she screamed at Zain while in her hysteria she smashed the nearby crate into splinters. She didn’t feel anything as the small pieces of wood embedded themselves into her flesh.

Zain quickly flew to Emma's side and lay a paw on her shoulder. Her newfound energy soon disappeared and she could feel the splinters being removed as all her exposed muscles sealed up. Her hands were covering her eyes as she was afraid that if she opened them again she would see a mess of a body.

 _“Emma?”_ Zain called out hesitantly, _“You can open your eyes now. All your wounds are healed. Your hair went back to normal if that makes it better.”_

Slowly she opened her eyes and fumbled for her phone, she turned on the camera and looked at herself once more. True enough, her eyes returned to normal and hair was back to its lustrous red color. She couldn’t see any exposed muscles and checked the smoothness of her arms, only to be met with relief as I felt nothing out of the ordinary.

“Oh, thank god,” she sighed.

Zain was silent, no doubt he was worried how she would respond. Well, if he is able to heal all of my wounds then it’s fine. Emma looked at the remains of the crate that she had smashed in her panic.

“Well I guess we can check off super strength and regeneration.”

 _“Yeah,”_ Zain replied quietly, _“Do you want to take a break? Just so we can get used to that surprise?”_

She nodded to that idea before she sat herself on top of a different crate while Zain laid down on the ground. An awkward silence filled the old warehouse while Zain was trying to avoid making eye contact with her. He must be worrying about her reaction back there. Well, he should be. Emma was certain that she wouldn't be able to forgive him if he somehow ruined her image.

The silence was becoming unbearable so she figured she could asked if Zain has any other abilities he hasn’t told me about.

_“Oh! So it was a few days after I learned about flying and I was minding my own business. I was exploring the Bay and eavesdropping some conversations every once in a while. Pretty normal and boring until this guy walked by.”_

She nodded at the dog to let him know to continue.

_“This guy had this aura around him. Then this other guy came running at the first guy and I saw the new guy holding a knife. Second guy stabbed the first guy and repeated it until the other people tackled the second guy to the ground. It was scary as fuck, not gonna lie.”_

Emma didn’t know how to reply to that so she didn’t say anything.

_“The cops came by and arrested him while the ambulance took the other guy to the hospital. At first I thought it was a coincidence, but I decided to take a stroll in the Docks considering that’s ABB territory and they’re pretty violent. So I started looking for trouble and found some of them hanging around a convenience store. A couple walked by and immediately the couple had the same aura from before as the thugs started following them.”_

“Did… Did they come out alright?”

At that, Zain was silent and it answered the question.

_“I think the aura is a warning for me to pick up on. Whoever has the aura is about to be either killed or die.”_

Emma was silent as she wasn’t sure what to do with that information. Fortunately, Zain continued his story.

_“I also want to mention that when people die, their souls linger. Or at least I think it’s their soul. They look bluish and liquid… pyramidical? Is that a word? They look like pyramids. It’s still weird for me. I can talk to them even. But only if I’m touching them. Apparently they can’t see the surrounding area and it’s all darkness for them.”_

Zain just admitted that he had talked to dead people. He also pretty much described Emma's experience when they first talked.

_“I didn’t know what to do at the time so I thought I’d give them company. They think I was a reaper or something, because most of our conversations usually fall back to them bargaining me for a chance at life. Not gonna lie, I thought I could resurrect them like I did for you, but it looked like it was a one time thing. It was… pretty messed up.”_

“I’m sorry,” she said without thinking. Emma didn’t know what else to say. Zain spent time with people who were begging to be saved and Zain accidentally gave them false hope.

_“Thanks. I kept them company, I didn’t want to leave them because I was afraid I might miss something important. Two days passed and their souls just dissipated. Like they just disappear. Don’t know if it’s some grace period for souls to linger before moving on, or if it’s something else. I don’t know, but I've been thinking about it a lot recently.”_

Emma was silent as she thought about what he had said. Zain can see when people will die, he can talk to dead people before they disappear on their own, and he has no body in order to try to save them. She doesn’t know much about Zain, but she does know that he’s too kind to endure an eternity of watching people die and not being able to do anything to save them.

As she thought more about it, she wondered about the suffering of other people around the world. She recalled the time that Zain came to her rescue, and she realized how lucky she was. There’s no doubt that other people weren’t so lucky and may be having it worse than her. She remembered how those ABB cornered her and her dad, how they could’ve done something terrible to her and she couldn’t stop them. Emma was angry, at the ABB and at herself. She was mad she didn’t speak up against those thugs, she was mad that Zain had to die for her, and she was mad that she was grateful that Zain died for her.

Emma realized that she was clenching her hands into fists to the point her knuckles were white. She was afraid that she might cause herself to bleed, then she remembered that Zain could heal her wounds. Wounds that could be caused while she was fighting against the ABB. Not just the ABB, other criminals like Empire 88 and the Merchants. She could fight the people that were causing everything to fall apart.

_“Hey Emma.”_

She snapped out of her thoughts, “Yes, Zain?”

_“I want to be a little honest with you. This whole experiment we’re doing? It was me trying to talk you into becoming a hero. I figured since I don’t have a body, you could fight for me. I know it’s selfish, and after what just happened I don’t want you to do something you don’t want to do. Sorry for trying to trick you.”_

“I kind of figured that’s what was happening. Not gonna lie, but you’re pretty simple to understand, Zain. I agreed to come out today just so I could get to know you better. Considering we might be stuck with each other for a long time.”

_“That makes sense. Don’t know where to start though.”_

“If there’s one thing I learned from my best friend, it’s that friendship occurs naturally. You don’t need to tell me your life story, we can just talk whenever. Besides, we got better things to talk about.”

_“Like what? Us testing out our powers?”_

“A little. I’ve been thinking and I thought maybe giving being a superhero a try.”

 _“Seriously?”_ He asked with his tail wagging.

“Yeah, I thought the first time we met and figured I got lucky. I thought about other people who weren’t as lucky. I don’t know if I can forgive myself if something happens to Taylor. She’s the only person that I can relate to.”

_“So… Do you want to train? We can break stuff considering that’s all super strength is good for.”_

Emma laughed at that idea, “Sorry, but I think at this point it’s better to learn while on the job. Can’t really train without other people being let in on the secret.”

_“Ah, that’s right. So are you going to join Ward?”_

She shook her head, “Nah, I want to help people sure, but I don’t want to do it for my whole life. I have my own ambition. I want to be a model in the future, so I’m only really doing this as a hobby. No offense to the Protectorates or Ward, but they’re probably riddled with bureaucracy. They’ve been here for how long and things are still falling apart. Not to mention that it's a big commitment. Once I join, I doubt they'll be okay with me leaving."

_“Hmm, you might have a point. Being independent is probably better, but it’s going to be a problem if you get caught by the authority."_

“Then I won’t get caught.”

_“Heh, a simple solution. Why didn’t I think of it?”_

“Because my intelligence is matched by my beauty,” she answered jokingly while flipping her hair back.

Zain rolled his eyes at that, _”So when do you want to start being a hero?”_

She thought about it, but before she could say anything Zain spoke up again.

_“Hold on, there’s some people coming by. We should leave, there’s a back door that you can leave through.”_

Emma hopped off of the crate she was sitting on before following his instruction. The two of them proceed to head back home while talking to each other with their minds.

 _“I was thinking of maybe starting off small,”_ I considered.

 _“What do you mean?”_ Zain inquired.

 _“Diving head first into danger and punching bad guys seems like a big leap. Maybe you can go find people who are in danger and I can make some anonymous phone calls. People who can see the future or whatever can be my excuse and the police wouldn't doubt the possibility,”_ she explained.

_“You’re right. Look at you, planning on being a hero already. Hmm, but what happens when you start getting more active? Anonymous phone calls and your sudden arrival may raise some questions. Most capes have powers that relate with each other.”_

_“If that’s an issue, I could explain that as me working with a partner which is actually the truth. I do the heavy lifting while you give me info on who to save,”_ Emma answered.

 _“Oh hey, that’s clever!”_ He complimented.

 _“Wonder what our cape name is gonna be,”_ she wondered.

 _“You can leave that to me. I don’t need sleep so I can dedicate some time to that,”_ Zain answered.

By the time they arrived home, pain started to creep into Emma's body. The pain must be from when she had gotten that boost from Zain. Understandable considering how all her muscles were being ripped apart to give me super strength. She asked Zain if he can make the pain go away and he solved it by placing a paw on her shoulder. She's really lucky to have such convenience.

Anne isn’t home yet so Emma grabbed the phone in the kitchen and ordered some food. She's feeling Chinese tonight. After placing her order, she laid herself on the couch and turned on the news. The reporter was displaying a photo of Alexandria saving the day in some city she'd never heard of. Despite being a hero, Alexandria has always been shown intimidating no matter her actions. She’s probably married to her job or something.

“You would think Alexandria would at least smile more often.”

_“Maybe she’s stressed out? Being a famous hero probably isn’t easy.”_

“I mean she could have hooked up with someone by now.”

_“Nah, you know the cliche where the bad guys hold your lover hostage? She’s smart enough to avoid that drama.”_

“Yeah, but still, she could maybe share a drink with someone.”

_“But what happens if she gets pregnant? That’ll put a dent to her career.”_

“She’s invulnerable! She can’t get pregnant!”

They spent a portion of the night debating about one of the dumbest things anyone could talk about.


	4. A New Friend, A New Danger

Emma awoke on the couch feeling like her body is on fire. Her muscles ache with each movement she takes. The pain was a lot greater than what it was last night. She had hoped the pain would no longer be an issue on the next day, but it came back worse. Does that mean that Zain can only delay the pain? If that’s the case then she should take things easy and let the pain disappear naturally.

Emma looked around the living room and couldn’t find the spectral wolf anywhere. Zain doesn’t or can’t sleep so he probably went off to entertain himself. He’ll be back soon enough. Emma’s the only person he could talk to anyway.

She managed to pry herself from the couch and made her way into the kitchen. She began preparing herself a bowl of cereal and opted to talk to Zain to pass the time.

 _”Hey Zain, where are you?”_ , she privately asked.

 _”Morning, Emma, I’m at the Boardwalk,”_ Zain answered.

_”What are you doing there?”_

_”I’m scouting for trouble. The aura of doom, trademarked mind you, only show up either the moment they’re going to die or someone cemented the idea of killing them. I followed a guy an hour ago, but his aura disappeared when a patrol car drove by. I figured since we’re doing this, we should start close to home. The Boardwalk looks like a good starting point. A bunch of people pass by each day, it’s close to home, and you get to meet new friends.”_

Emma smirked at that, _”I hope my new friends don’t greet me with a knife or gun to the face.”_

 _”You kidding? That’s customary!”_ he laughed.

Emma left Zain alone so she could indulge in her bowl of cereal. Anne entered the kitchen soon after and began preparing some toast for her breakfast.

“Good morning, Anne,” Emma greeted.

“Morning, Emma,” her sister replied while wearing an outfit that suggested that she’ll be going out, “Had fun last night? You slept on the couch instead of your room.”

“Oh, I might’ve passed out after finishing my workout,” Emma lied. She didn’t want to explain that she was talking to Zain for the majority of the night.

“Working out?” Anne asked with an odd tone.

“Yeah, is something wrong with that?” Emma asked.

Anne paused for a moment before speaking, “Does this have anything to do with the incident?”

The incident. That’s what everyone in the family calls the encounter with the ABB as. The topic is a sore subject for Emma, one that she prefers not to talk about. Anne took Emma’s silence as an affirmative.

“I won’t say that I understand what’s going through your mind, but I want to remind you that we’re here for you. You can always talk to us. More importantly, this may be weird, but if you ever blame yourself for anything during the incident just know that it wasn’t your fault.”

Does Anne think that Emma was working out to make up for her weakness during the incident? Well, she wasn’t exactly wrong actually. Emma was frustrated at her weakness in that alley. However, Emma didn’t want to pursue this conversation any further so she’ll end it quickly. 

“Thanks, Anne…” Emma said hesitantly.

“No problem, it’s what sisters are for. Anyway, I gotta go. Summer is halfway over and I want to make it worthwhile. You wanna come hang with me and my friends?” Anne offered.

Emma shook her head, “No thanks, I want to let my body rest. It’s sore from the exercise I’ve been doing,” which is somewhat truthful. Her muscles ache with the memory of Zain tearing her muscles apart to exert a higher degree of strength.

Anne nodded at the answer, “Well if you ever change your mind in the future just tell me,” she said as she left the kitchen. “I’ll be in the commercial district for most of the day, if you want anything just text me,” she added before leaving the front door.

Finishing her cereal, Emma put the bowl in the sink before returning to the living room. She did some stretches which in turn ignited the pain throughout her body. She didn’t want to have to deal with the pain all day so she might as well try to get used to it as fast as possible.

 _”So how’s the job hunting?”_ , Emma silently asked.

 _”I found one with an aura. Been following her for a bit,”_ Zain answered.

_”Her?”_

_”Yeah,”_ Zain replied simply, _”She might be in high school. She’s young enough. She might be on the track team judging from her toned muscles.”_

Emma paused in her stretching as she considered the question that should’ve been the first thing that came to her mind when Zain initially appeared.

 _”You’re not… you’re not spying on her are you?”_ She asked hesitantly.

_”Well technically I’m doing it right now.”_

_”Alright, let me rephrase that, are you spying on her when you shouldn’t? Like say when she’s changing?”_

There was silence on the telepathic line.

_”Oh my god, Zain.”_

_”Hold on, give me a chance to explain!”_ Zain interjected, _”I’ll be honest, the idea did pop up and I may have spent some time on the beach to have some fun.”_

_”Disgusting.”_

_”Let me finish! So I ogled some people, but it wasn’t doing it for me.”_

_”What?”_

_”Like I said, I felt nothing. It didn’t really excite me. Nothing did actually. I thought about going into the changing room, but I didn’t really react much to the idea. I guess I went to the beach just because that was something I would’ve done originally.”_

_”So what you’re saying is that when you died, so did your sex drive?”_ Emma suggested.

_”Makes sense if you think about it. I have no body, no hormones to speak of, just my wonderful personality.”_

At that Emma snorted a laughter, _”Right, the same wonderful personality that peek at girls.”_

_”S-shut up! At least I’m being honest!”_

_”Right… So this girl, does she go to Winslow or Arcadia High?”_

_”Winslow maybe? If she attends Arcadia then she’s jogging a long distance.”_

Ah. so the girl was jogging on the Boardwalk. _”Can you describe her? I might recognize her if we shared the same middle school.”_

_”Hmm, she’s around 5’9” with long, straight, black hair. She got a slim and athletic build to her body. Ah, and she’s black. Maybe some Empire jerks might be after her?”_

Emma thought on the description, it wasn’t much and no one immediately came to mind on her identity. Whoever Zain is following, she probably went to a different school. Although they could meet each other if she attends Winslow. Once summer ends, both Emma and Taylor would be starting their freshman year at Winslow.

_”Hmm, doesn’t ring any bells. You can keep an eye on her, but you should stop if she gets home. Gotta respect her privacy, **right** Zain?”_

_”Y-yeah…”_

_”I’ll leave you alone for now. I want to rest my aching body.”_

_”You’re still sore?”_

_”Yeah, looks like you can’t make the pain go away. Only delay it. I think it’s hurting more than it should actually.”_

_”Ah, so I shouldn’t delay the pain forever. If I forget even once then it’ll be Hell for you.”_

_”Didn’t think that far ahead, but yeah let’s not do that,”_ Emma said as she turned on the TV in the living room. Her phone soon rang after and Emma recognized the number as the same one that Taylor used from summer camp. Answering her phone, she is greeted by the sound of her best friend’s happy voice.

<”Hey Emma, you have no idea what happened today!”> Taylor happily declared.

“Oh yeah? Try me!”

\------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

“So she’s really that young?” Emma asked the ethereal canine as she jumped out of her bedroom window. She landed on the soft grass, which unfortunately was not soft enough to lessen the impact of the landing. However, Zain was kind enough to invigorate her beforehand and her snapped tendons quickly healed themselves. She won’t be happy in the morning though. It’s currently midnight so she won’t have to worry about the pain in about six to seven hours.

 _“She couldn’t have more than 11!”_ Zain declared as he floated to her side.

“It’s insane that someone who hasn’t even hit puberty is a Ward,” Emma continued as she dust her clothing of dirt. 

She was sporting dark clothing for camouflage which consists of a black long-sleeved t-shirt, black shorts, and a black beanie to hide her short red hair. She had to shorten the length of her hair after one of those ABB members cut a locket off of her head. 

_”I know! I get that the Ward is more like a training program for people to become a Protectorate, but it’s still a surprise!”_

“And they were just patrolling? No action like the movies?”

 _”The only action that Aegis and Vista got was taking a few photos with some tourists.”_ Zain answered as he held onto Emma’s shoulder.

“If you think about it, if there’s no trouble then that’s a good thing,” Emma reasoned as she began running. Emma figured since Zain was able to grant her enhanced strength then speed shouldn’t be far off. 

_”That may be so, but we’re looking for trouble,”_ Zain added as the two of them sped through the streets.

Emma was fast, faster than what any human being should be. She ran past a street sign with a 30 on it as she got onto Lord Street. Emma picked up her pace and she was seeing the street lights turning into streaks of light. Zain was giving her directions to where they were heading. The Docks in particular. Emma wasn’t used to running at high speed, so Zain was her guide to make sure she doesn’t crash into anything.

 _”Hey Emma, you know those signs with a builtin speedometer?”_ Zain silently said in her mind.

_”Yeah? Did I pass one?”_

_”Mhm, you were clocked at 75,”_ he answered.

That answer surprised her so much that she skidded to a halt. Thank god the sports shoes she was wearing were an older pair, otherwise she would’ve been worried about their condition.

_”75?! How am I that fast?!”_

_”Best guess is that the bar for normal human limitations rose whenever I boost you,”_ Zain suggested as he looked at the surrounding area.

 _”So just to make sure we know what’s going on. You go look for trouble and I make anonymous reports, right?”_ Emma asked for clarification.

_”That’s right. And we're going to repeat this in the same night and as long as possible before heading home. You remember to bring the map with you?”_

_”Right here,”_ Emma waved a folded piece of paper. 

The paper was a map of Brockton Bay and it was marked with the location of payphones in the Downtown Coasts. Emma plans on using the payphones to notify the authorities and move on to other payphones so that she doesn’t stick around too long for the cops to trace the call and look for her.

Before leaving, Zain renewed Emma’s vigor on the off chance she finds trouble while he’s gone. Emma set up an alarm on her phone to tell Zain to come to her in 5 minutes advanced to allow the wolf to deal with the issue of distance between them. Zain also memorized the location of the payphones as he was the one that had Emma mark the locations. Apparently he developed an eidetic memory. How is a question that neither can answer.

 _”Well I’m going ahead now. Stay safe and if there’s trouble tell me,”_ Zain said as he flies off. Interesting enough, Zain’s form does not blend in the night sky. He just stands out no matter where he is. 

Emma walked a small distance to the closest payphone and waited for Zain to tell her to make the call. She pulled out a pair of sunglasses to hide her eyes as minutes slowly passed by. She was beginning to consider asking Zain for an update, but decided against it as he was looking for criminal activities that wouldn’t be obvious. 

_”Found a couple guys mugging someone. The address is...”_

Emma dialed in 911 and informed the dispatcher of the situation. She told them the address that Zain had given to her and told the dispatcher that she needs to leave as she is afraid of being in danger. Emma left the phone hanging as she went off to the next payphone.

 _”Alright, made the call. Go ahead and move on,”_ Emma said to Zain.

She waited once more and her alarm silently went off. She contacted him to renew the vigor. While he was on the way, he phased through an apartment bedroom to find a man assaulting a woman. Zain gave Emma the address and she made the call.

Emma and Zain met up at the third payphone. 

“Two in half an hour.”

_”Mhm, kind of preferred that it wasn’t that busy, but at least we’re making a difference.”_

Emma nodded as Zain flew off after renewing her vigor. The two of them repeated the process for about 2 hours and Zain was getting better at finding trouble. Zain explained that he mostly sensed souls in odd places such as alleys, stores, and other places that should have been empty. As such the sound of police sirens were being heard throughout the Downtown Coast as Emma had made about twenty calls. 

She was on her last payphone until she would be forced to reused the others. While Emma was waiting for Zain, Emma heard the sound of rapid footsteps from behind her. She quickly turned around to look at the source, but a hand grabbed her neck and the figure moved behind her. An arm pinned her hands behind her with a knife is pressed to her neck.

Emma was facing away from her assailant, but she is now witnessing the arrival of someone else. This person was wearing a black bodysuit and wore an urban camo cloak. Hiding her face was a hockey mask that only showed her eyes.

“Back off, you crazy bitch. You fucked with the wrong people tonight!” A male voice screamed next to Emma’s ear. “You think the Merchant’s easy targets?! Think you can fuck with us and get away with it?! Come any closer and she-”

The Merchant couldn’t finish that threat as Emma easily escaped from the confines of his arms with her strength. Emma had another fifteen minutes of vigor and she was going to put it to good use. She shoved the criminal to the ground and straddled the man as she attempted to wrestle the knife out of his hand. The knife slipped past her hands and embedded itself just under her left breast. Emma paused as she glanced at the knife in her torso and back at the Merchant. The sole three people silently gaze upon the knife before Emma resumes her assault. 

Emma gripped the Merchant’s shirt before flinging him to the side of a car causing the windows to crack from the impact. She walked over to the man before helping him to his feet before smashing him through the side window scattering glass inside the vehicle. The Merchant was tossed to the ground on his stomach as Emma straddled on his back with one of his legs in hand. Emma held onto the foot before twisting it.

The man let out a scream of pain as Emma broke his ankle. Emma got off of the man and was about to pick him back up for another beating.

_”Emma!”_

She turned to see Zain descending from the sky. As if snapping out of a trance, Emma glanced at the injured man and back at Zain. She didn’t know how to respond as she hadn’t realized the brutality of her actions. 

“I…” Emma began but couldn’t finish.

 _”We’ll talk later. Let’s get rid of that knife,”_ Zain interjected.

Emma pulled the knife out of her chest and tossed it to the side. Her wounds quickly heals itself to perfect condition. She turned to the payphone to make the call, but was blocked by the person wearing the cloak.

“Are you a cape?” The figure asks in a feminine voice.

Emma didn’t answer as her mind was disorganized at the moment. Fortunately Zain was nearby to help ground her to Earth.

_“Oh hey, it’s Shadow Stalker,”_

_”Who?”_

_”She was the other cape that showed up when we first met,”_ Zain answered.

So that’s her name? Shadow Stalker seemed a bit menacing for a hero, or maybe she’s a vigilante? She doesn’t look like a team player, or patient if her tapping her foot is any indication.

Emma realized that Shadow Stalker had asked her a question.

“Oh, yes, I guess I am,” Emma said without hiding her distracted mind.

“Hmm, you looked familiar, have we met?” Stalker asked as she handed Emma a pair of glasses and a beanie.

At the moment, Emma felt her face and noticed that her belongings were nowhere on her head. Had they fallen off during the scuffle? Emma quickly put them back on, but knew it was a moot point.

Shadow Stalker was silent, probably thinking about the question. “You’re not the same girl that had the run-in with the ABB, are you?”

Emma perked up at that question and she could tell that Shadow Stalker was smiling under her mask.

“You are, aren’t you? That’s cool. You taking that knife to the chest was cool. What’s your name? I’m Shadow Stalker.”

Emma couldn’t speak as her mind was panicking. Her thoughts ran through scenarios of how things could go badly. Could Shadow Stalker be trusted? Would she sell her out? Is she even sane? She could be a serial killer for all she knows.

 _”Emma, say that you don’t have one. We’re new after all,”_ Zain suggested. Emma really appreciated Zain. He’s like a rock to her. 

“I… don’t have one. I’m new… if that wasn’t obvious,” Emma said slowly. 

“Yeah? Wanna bounce some ideas? We could meet up somewhere on the Boardwalk,” Stalker suggested.

Emma did not want to meet up. If anything, she would rather forget this night. She wanted to go home.

_”Say yes, Emma.”_

“What?” Emma asked out loud.

“Let’s hang out!” Stalker repeated as if Emma was talking to her.

 _”Shadow Stalker has been at this for a long while. We can get some advice from her. Besides, social networking is important for vigilantes like us. Be it information or backup,”_ Zain explained.

Emma was silent as she pondered on the idea. Zain wants to be a hero, but he needs Emma to do that. Emma must have made a good first impression for Shadow Stalker to immediately want to hang out. Emma… is just doing this as a hobby. She didn’t really want to invest in the hero thing, but she also felt that she owed Zain to at least try for a bit.

“I guess we could meet up,” Emma reluctantly agreed.

“Awesome! Let’s meet up at- oh, wait, hold on,” Shadow Stalker went over to the injured Merchant and kicked him sharply in the head leaving him motionless.

 _”Ah...:”_ Zain didn’t freak out so the Merchant was probably unconscious.

“Okay, so how about meeting me at…”

\------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Emma hefted herself through her bedroom window and grabbed her pyjamas. She silently made her way to the hallway bathroom and cleaned up her bloodied and ripped shirt before washing herself of the blood as well.

Donning her pajamas, Emma made her way back to her bedroom. She tried falling asleep but found herself unable.

_”Zain? Could you put me to sleep?”_

_”Are you sure you don’t want to talk about it?”_ He replied.

Emma frowned at that and turned her back to him.

_”Uh, well, you seem to have some emotional baggage. If you like, I have some advice.”_

At that, Emma turned to him, “Like what?”

_”There’s meditation.”_

Emma squinted at Zain, “How exactly is that supposed to help me?”

_”Well it helps clear the mind, reduces stress, controls anxiety, promote self-awareness, improves the attention span, and makes sleeping better.”_

“You had that answer prepared. Did you do it when you were alive?”

_”I can still do it actually. It really helps me accept the fact that I’m dead. You should try it sometimes. You might thank me!”_

Emma thought about it, it’s something she could do to help settle her mind. Not to mention if it helps her sleep on her own then it’s a boon already. And she really likes doing things on her own.

“Alright, I’ll try it. Tomorrow after we meet Stalker that is. I don’t want to be dead tired when I meet her.”

 _”Deal!”_ Zain said as he hovered over Emma before placing a paw on her shoulder allowing Emma to fall into the sweet embrace of sleep.


	5. Procuring the Rare Currency Known as Trust

_”And that’s why I came over early,”_ Zain said to Emma as the two of them traverse the Boardwalk. The two of them were heading to the location that Shadow Stalker had set up for them. 

_”Can’t believe Aegis showed up,”_ Emma silently replied to Zain. She was glancing at the map on her phone while walking to their destination. 

_”I’m not surprised. You did make two dozen calls to the police. It was gonna get the attention of the Protectorate and the PRT. Though I would’ve thought they would’ve just let us do our thing for one night.”_

_”A bit optimistic don’t you think?”_

_”Maybe. Although they could’ve thought that there was a thinker involved since all we did was report the crimes in progress. Granted a few lies here and there, but I like to think the Merchants were annoyed by us.”_

_”Maybe most likely, I doubt we did anything major.”_

_”What do you mean, Emma?”_

_”I mean, all we did were report crimes in progress. Sure the dealers were probably caught, but the Merchants will just set up a new dealer and we will be back to square one. We’re winning small battles, but the war isn’t being affected is what I’m saying.”_

_”Oh, hmm, well shit you’re right. So what, do you want to up your hero game?”_ The spectral wolf asked.

_”I don’t know. I’m still adjusting to what happened last night.”_

_”Adjusting to what? You defending yourself against that one Merchant?”_

_”I mean I did go a bit too far with the injuries. I guess I’m worried that I might become some kind of killer hero in the future? You know, like a Terminator?”_

_”You’re thinking of the Punisher. The Terminator was a killer robot from the future,”_ Zain corrected Emma.

Emma rolled her eyes at the spirit, _”I’m a part-time hero, not a nerd.”_

_”I could change that. What’s your poison? Dragon Ball? Naruto? One Piece? Dare I suggest Bleach?”_

_”Stop. You naming those things is causing me to have a visceral reaction.”_

_”Oh, visceral! That’s a neat word! Where did you learn that, Emma?”_

_”Taylor told me that one. She used it in an insult to a rude boy in her summer camp and everyone was laughing with her.”_

_”Nice. Taylor sounds smart. We should ask her for advice sometimes.”_

_”Eh, maybe. Again, I don’t want to get too invested in the hero business. Not to mention that Taylor got other things on her mind.”_

_”Like what?”_

_”Like her mom-”_ Emma cut herself there as she reprimanded herself. _”Sorry, I don’t think it’s right for me to talk about it.”_

Zain was about to ask Emma another question, but she stopped him by telling him that they had arrived at the meeting place.

The address that Shadow Stalker had given them was a sporting goods store. The vigilante explained that an important aspect of being a cape is to have the right costume. Zain agreed with Shadow Stalker, but his voice was only heard by Emma.

Standing just outside of the entrance was an athletic, teenage girl with brown skin. She made eye contact with Emma and waved to get her attention. Emma reflexively waved back and made her way over to her new acquaintance.

“Finally you’re here. I thought you bailed on me or some shit,” was Shadow Stalker’s first words out of costume.

The cursing got Emma slightly put off, but she remained composed, “Yeah, I was really nervous about meeting up so I was trying to get my mind settled.”

Shadow Stalker frowned at that.

Emma couldn’t help but notice that and she wondered if she did something wrong.

“Well it doesn’t matter. Let’s get you the gear you need,” Stalker said as she led the way.

The vast interior of the store was filled to the brim with many athletic items. There were dozens of racks lined with basketballs, soccer balls, and foot balls. Walls were adorned with sports equipment such as hockey sticks, baseball bats, and even bikes. Monitors lined near the roof airing multiple sports are all set at a volume where they can be heard if you simply walk to them and watch the show. The monitors were creating a lot of background noise where any private conversations couldn’t be heard unless you’re really nearby. Shadow Stalker really chose a convenient place to meet up.

“Hey Sophia, what brings you back?!” Greeted a blond man in a referee outfit who gave the vigilante a friendly wave..

“Hey Lawrence,” Shadow Stalker, now named Sophia, replied, “Just getting my friend some new work outfits.”

Emma’s mind was running slowly as she processed the fact that she now knew the cape’s name. Granted, it’s only the first name but it could be detrimental in the long run.

 _”Emma, introduce yourself. Gotta earn Shadow Stalker’s trust, you know,”_ the spectral wolf said.

“I’m Emma.”

“Nice to meet you, Emma,” The employee said as he held out his hand which Emma accepted, “I’m Lawrence, I’m the manager of Goodman’s Sportsman. Not often to see Sophia coming in with anyone, are you going to Winslow after the summer?”

“Uh, how’d you know?”

“Cause Sophia’s told me about joining the school’s track team! Figured school the best place for any teenager to make friends,” he explained before looking off in the distance, “I’ll leave you girls alone. I can see Cassidy trying on the cleats again. If you have any questions, ask Sophia!”

With that the two of them were left alone once more. They didn’t say anything as Sophia led Emma into the maze of sporting equipment. The silence was awkward and she didn’t want to spend the majority of the experience talking to Zain so she opted to try to get to know more about Sophia.

“I take it you’re a regular here, Sophia?”

“Hess.”

“I’m sorry?”

“It’s Sophia Hess. We’re going to see each other a lot in school anyway so our identity won’t matter much. Plus, if you fuck me over I’ll fuck you back.”

 _“That’s one way to break the ice,”_ Zain commented.

“Then… I’m Emma Barnes.”

“So what’s your power? Last night you took a knife to the chest and threw a grown man into a car. A brute?” She asked as the television monitors drowned out their conversation.

Emma was familiar with the PRT power categories, but she didn’t exactly study them herself.

 _”I mean the powers are straight forward. Super strength, speed, and regeneration. Just short on flying to get the whole Alexandria package,”_ Zain said to no one in particular.

“Yeah, I’m a bit of a mover too. I can run faster than some cars,” Emma answered.

Sophia nodded at Emma’s answer. “Then you’re a close range fighter then. Usually you get armor to protect yourself, but seeing that a knife did shit to you, then we can focus on maneuverability,” she reasoned as the two of them passed by several aisles of protective body gear.

“Unless your power can protect your clothes, you’ll have to make a habit of buying new costumes or repair them when they get damaged,” Sophia continued,

“Ugh, doesn’t sound affordable…” Emma commented.

“Yeah, that’s why I grab a few rolls of bills whenever I bust an operation.”

“What? You steal?”

“From criminals, yeah. What? You’re a stickler for details? Being an independent hero isn’t cheap. I need supplies like any other heroes. At least the blood money those scumbags earned are being put to good use.”

Emma was quiet as she didn’t know how to respond to that,

 _”Not saying I agree with her, but I understand her logic. The Protectorates are funded and supported by the government, Most villains are in teams or organizations where they have money and a network. Vigilantes are on their own when it comes to financial support, They usually skim off the criminals they catch if what I read on PHO is true,”_ the ethereal wolf elaborated.

“I… guess I understand your reasoning,” Emma said with reluctance.

“Hmpf, whatever,” Sophia dismissed as she stopped at an aisle filled with workout outfits ranging from sports bras, shorts, arm warmers, and the occasional knee pads. “So how much skin are you willing to show?”

“I-I’m sorry, what?” Emma replied to the absurd question.

“The fewer materials your costume is made up of, the less money you’ll have to pay to replace or repair,” Sophia said with an eyeroll.

“Oh…”

Zain could be heard snickering behind Emma.

The redhead ignores the spirit as she focuses on the question, “Well I’m confident with my body. Not saying I’m an exhibitionist, but I’m not gonna worry about showing off my stomach or legs.”

“Good to know, and do you know what kind of theme you want to go with your hero identity?”

“Uh, not really. I didn’t really think that far. Last night was supposed to be small steps.”

“Yeah? Well plans never worked out the exact way you want, but it turned out good.”

“How do you mean, Sophia?”

“Do you have any idea how hard it is to find another vigilante that doesn't mind treating scum as scum?”

Memories about the Merchant from last night came back, “I-I didn’t mean to go that far.”

“Sure, you didn’t. It’s not like your throat got slashed by some punks in an alleyway. If you were stronger back then, you could’ve done something to prevent that.”

Emma clenched her hands into fists at that reminder. “Shut up. I don’t need you to remind me. It still makes me mad about Zain.”

“Zain?” Emma could tell that Sophia was thinking about the name, “Doesn’t sound like it would be a name for any ABB thug. Was that the wannabe hero that failed to save you?”

“He did save me.”

“Yeah, but after escalating the situation and getting you killed in the first place.”

 _”Well damn,”_ Zain muttered.

“It’s not that I think he was useless. I’d wish he could’ve stuck around longer. I would’ve respected any hero that could bite a scumbag’s ear off,” Sophia added.

Emma was about to argue in Zain’s defense until she stopped herself.

“Wait, how did you know that?” Emma asked Sophia.

“Know what?”

“The part about the ear. That information never got into the news. I’d know because I was there when my dad was questioned by the police.”

Alan Barnes had forgotten to mention that small detail as it had happened so fast. The lawyer was too interested in the safety of his daughter to remember that small detail.

Sophia was quiet as she thought about what to say. “I was there when it happened.”

“What?”

“I got there just when Zain or whatever his name took the first swing with the bat,” Sophia continued, “I watched the whole thing go down.”

Sophia was there when it happened? She could have joined the fight and helped Zain with the ABB. Both she and her dad could have been saved without Zain dying for them in the process. 

“Why?” Emma asked.

“Why what?”

“Why didn’t you help us sooner?”

“I wanted to see who you were.”

“What the hell does that even mean?”

“In my life, there are only two types of people. I’m not talking about good and evil, I’m talking about the type of people when they face a crisis. The people who either grow stronger from conflict or grow weaker. People who turn into predators and people who are just prey.”

Emma didn’t say anything as she was trying to wrap her head around Sophia’s answer.

“The person that saved you? He was a predator that hunted for justice. You in the alley? I would’ve labeled you as prey. I still would’ve saved you, but only because it would mean I would fight the ABB.”

“But you didn’t,” Emma added.

“I was naive. I stayed back a bit longer to see if you would fight back against the man that was holding you hostage. Imagined my disappointment when you didn’t resist at all. I got distracted when Zain bit out that bitch’s ear off and didn’t respond fast enough to stop the guy from slashing your throat.”

“Are… are you blaming me for Zain’s death?” Emma asked incredulously.

“No, of course not. Zain probably had a plan in mind, but it didn’t work out.”

“Then what the hell are you even saying?”

“I’m saying that you proved me wrong.”

Emma blinked at that as her mind was thrown into a loop.

“Ever since the alleyway, I had pegged you as prey. You obviously didn’t see it, but I was smiling when I realized who you were last night. You came out of your own home and entered a dangerous neighborhood at night. You say you were taking small steps, but it takes guts to go out and try to make a difference.”

“I- Thanks? I’m sorry, but I’m having trouble understanding you,” Emma said as she rubbed her forehead.

“What’s so hard to understand?”

“Your philosophy or whatever, I can tell that you’re not a team player. Like a… lone wolf?”

Sophia shifted her feet uncomfortably, most likely that Emma was spot on and was not looking forward to the new topic.

“Why did you bother setting up this meeting? You could’ve just asked for my number for the occasional teamup.” Emma inquired.

“I… I went to his house,” Sophia said looking away.

“You what?”

“I went to Zain’s house. It was the first time I saw a young cape die under my watch. I was curious about what kind of life he had that would set him on this path. Figured an officer would notify his family of his passing.”

Emma could see where this was going. Though she wasn’t sure why Sophia would care about that kind of thing.

“I followed a cruiser from the hospital and it led me to their home. I would’ve figured the mom would burst into tears, but she didn’t. His parents just got quiet and went back inside. I figured they don’t express themselves much so I snuck inside to hear what they say.”

Emma glanced to the side at Zain who was listening intently. Maybe he’s hoping if they did say something nice and he just wasn’t there to hear them. Zain was there when Emma had that physical so he probably followed after her and not went back home.

“They… they just didn’t care. The dad was cursing his own son for getting into trouble. I thought they would be happy that he tried to save someone, but they were worried about some possible dumbass lawsuit,” Sophia continued before looking at Emma, “You’re not suing them, are you?”

“No, I feel tempted but Zain wouldn’t like that at all.”

“I bet he wouldn’t. A cape coming from that? I would’ve expected a fucked up villain, but got a dead hero instead,” Sophia replied as her eyes suggest a bit of hesitance, “My family life isn’t stellar. I hate my mom and so does my older brother. He was so happy to move out of the house and away from her. The only person that actually likes her is my little brother and that’s only because he came after the divorce.”

“You don’t have to tell me more. I understand,” Emma interjected as she wasn’t sure if she should hear more about Sophia’s life. She glanced at Zain who was looking at Sophia intently. Was he looking at a kindred spirit? She doubted that if she was being honest.

“I guess if Zain was alive then he probably understood how I feel. I don’t know. I feel angry more at myself for the missed opportunity,” Sophia finished.

Emma was silent as she thought about the new pieces of information before her. Sophia was remorseful for Zain’s death? Though from what she had heard Zain was an exception. At least now she has a better understanding of Sophia. She also wondered if she should mention the spectral wolf that had been accompanying them. The likelihood of Sophia believing her is low and honestly, it still sounds ridiculous to Emma.

“Hey Sophia, let’s get that costume. We can hang out after if you’re interested.”

“I… Yeah, that’d be nice.”

\------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

After bouncing some ideas, Sophia and Emma agreed on an aquatic theme for her cape identity to go with the name that Sophia had suggested: Frenzy. Sophia explained that Emma went into a frenzy after that Merchant tried to use her as a hostage. Seeing that they didn’t have any better ideas Emma decided to stick with the name.

Sophia asked the important question about Emma’s noticeable red hair as it was pure white last night. Emma explained that her powers need to be activated and it causes her hair to become white to which Sophia finds to be convenient.

For a mask, Sophia could only recommend a pair of swim goggles to go with the aquatic motif. She also recommends in trying to look up a better alternative if Emma wants to stand out. Lastly she got some new high quality sports shoes and a pair of fingerless gloves.

At the check out, Emma had opted for a blue one piece swimsuit with shorts that had ocean waves designed into the material. She was confident with her body, not indecent. Lawrence was assisting them with their purchase and Sophia was footing the bill. Probably with money she got from busting crooks on the streets.

“So Emma, I know you’re a new friend of Sophia’s so I figured I offer you a gym membership. Goodman’s Sportsman has a gym on the other side of the building and I’m willing to give you a special offer,” Lawrence was too preoccupied with the deal then paying attention to Emma’s choice in purchase.

“Oh! Well I've been thinking about working out actually. Mainly cardio and stretching, but I wanted to build some muscles,” Emma commented as she recalls the burning pain she experiences from using her powers. Maybe if she actually works out the pain will be reduced? If not, then it’s still muscles that she won’t have to rely on Zain for.

“Well with the gym membership, you’ll have to get yourself a permit for the guns you're getting!” Lawrence laughed as he handed Emma the bag with her purchase to which Lawrence still hadn’t looked at.

Emma couldn’t help but giggle at Lawrence’s enthusiasm. “I’ll talk to my dad about it. I’m really looking forward to it.”

“I’ll foot it,” Sophia interjected.

“Sophia! You sweet angel! Your eyes say death, but your heart is an angel!”

 _”An angel of death?”_ Zain joked.

“You must have one hell of a job, girl! Cause you just gave your friend a one year membership! Good to have you on board, Emma!” Lawrence congratulated the two girls, “You’ll love it. My wife’s an instructor at the gym and you’ll be building your muscles in no time!”

The two girls exited the building and Sophia stretched her arms to wake herself up.

“Alright, I’ll see you later,” Sophia said as she made to leave.

“Wait!”

“What?”

“Wanna join me at that cafe? It looks like they’re also a bakery.”

“Don’t have that much money on me.”

“You don’t have to. Think of it as a return for footing the other bills.”

Sophia silently pondered the offer, “Alright, but you better not be stingy.”


End file.
